Long-Term Test, 2000 Ford F-250: The Search
Unlike many Americans, I am not loyal to any particular brand. I believe in buying the best that my money can buy. This turned out to be a blessing and a curse when I was out looking for a pickup. I only had a few requirements: a well-maintained, good condition 4WD crew cab model with a reliable diesel engine.
I drooled at anything between $5,000 and $50,000 (literally) that had the distinct diesel clatter. Within that price range resided many trucks that had this, but not that. The new engines were powerful but unproven and inefficient. The older engines were reliable but mated to lousy transmissions or trucks. Then there was the issue of a well-maintained, good condition 4WD truck: a lot of 4WD trucks had been modified and/or abused.
A loaded 2008-2010 Ford 6.4L Diesel like my buddy's truck could be had new for $45,000 - a little too much for my pocketbook. Photo (c) Steven Crosbie, 2010
So, I compromised. I didn’t want to see my brand new, $50,000 truck get sand blasted on the drive to work, so I settled for older trucks. The best among them was the 7.3L Ford PowerStroke Diesel, of the 1999-2003 vintage. Despite being slow, these engines are very desirable because they are extremely reliable, with examples routinely exceeding 400K miles, some even turning over 1 million miles. However, pretty decent examples could be found for under $15,000. I figured the money saved from not buying a newer truck would give me a buffer for replacing worn parts and improving the truck to my liking.
I almost bought a green 7.3L diesel like this one, if its interior hadn't been torn up.
So I made several long distance treks to find my dream truck. The first was a 2001 model with 4WD, but it was a salvage title. The paint didn’t look that great and the steering was all over the place, so I passed. The second truck was a 2000 4WD model, but it lacked the crew cab that I wanted, and the interior was torn up. Furthermore, it was a Nevada title, and I wasn’t sure how the smog and registration would work out. By this time, I started giving up hope when I ran across a 2000 model in Temecula. It was a 2WD, which dampened my enthusiasm. But the description sounded great: it recently had a lot of unintended maintenance while chasing a simple o-ring oil leak, and it was being sold for a legit reason (family inherited a motorhome, didn’t need to tow their 5th wheel anymore). The price was a bit high but the weekend looked boring anyway, so I decided to go take a look just for fun.
The guy selling it was an active firefighter. Major kudos – I support the brave men and women who keep this great nation safe. He was only the second owner and had owned the truck for most of its life. The truck was always garaged so its unique Island Blue Clearcoat Metallic paint shimmered on that bright summer day. It had never been modified and was always driven by a responsible adult. Since it was 2WD, it had never been thrashed off road. The pile of paperwork from a lifetime of dealer maintenance could have buried me six feet under. Even documents like the window sticker, the towing guide, and the 5th wheel hitch instructions, were saved. As a bonus, the truck had originally been purchased in South Carolina, so it had no catalytic converter for me to deal with. The test drive went great, and the man was an honest soul. When he noticed what a perfectionist I was when it came to paint condition, he didn’t hesitate to point out every single flaw on the truck without any prompting. I decided to throw him an offer and he accepted – no BS involved.
Towing was a new experience for me, so having an experienced hauler help me hook up the trailer was a God-send
Within the next three hours, we had managed to swap money, grab lunch, transfer the title, get new plates, and also rent a car trailer so I could bring my trusty Silvia back with me. He was with me every step of the way – he even hooked up the trailer and changed the plates, right up until he had to get ready for his daughter’s prom. I took off at about that time, getting myself ready to tackle the infamous Cajon Pass at dusk. I immediately called my diesel-loving friend to tell him the news, and we started to imagine the future of this truck: tuner, lift, big tires, new interior, built transmission, etc. Little did I know, that conversation would come to cost me a couple thousand dollars in modifications over the course of the next year…